That is starting to change, albeit slowly. The state, several towns and at least one county have already adopted “Complete Streets” policies that call for the accommodation of all users, not just motorists, when designing new and retrofitted roads. Now, the City of Newark is working on what will be the state’s first protected bike lane. The lane, which will run on Mt. Prospect Avenue in the city’s Forest Hill District between Branch Brook Park and the Heller Parkway, is part of a larger effort that will include new sidewalks, flower planters, trash receptacles, trees, traffic signals, and benches along the stretch. The project is being done with the help ofSam Schwartz Engineering, and is funded by the city’s Urban Enterprise Zone. Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2011.

The bike lane is an innovative and exciting development for Newark, and should inspire more cities to construct their own protected bike lanes. Yet the fact that this project is so noteworthy indicates how far we have to go in making our streets safe and inviting for everyone. Bicycle and pedestrian accommodations should be the norm, not the exception, when designing our roads, and should be as an integral component of every project’s budget, not a special add-on paid for by supplemental funds. The state Department of Transportation’s Complete Streets policy goes a long way toward making this a reality, but it applies only to state roads, which make up a small percentage of the all the roads in the state. It is up to counties and municipalities, like Newark, to adopt Complete Streets policies of their own, and make sure that projects like these are routine, not remarkable.

I’m glad to see Newark step into the bike lane biz with something bold but …. (you knew there was a but)

The preliminary intersection treatments as shown in the provided diagram seem to have significant sightline issues that could lead to pedestrian-bike collisions at the crosswalks as well as right-hook collision between bikes and cars in the intersections themselves. I’m all for protected bike lanes but these facilities need to have the engineering sophistication that many of the new protected lanes have in NYC and Portland to eliminate these potential problems.